


shards of light

by vanerz



Category: Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin
Genre: I hope Ares doesn't retcon this TOO badly, M/M, a fic x art collaboration with huyandere on tumblr!!, edit: this was retconned badly :)))), no Ares spoilers beyond trailers and PVs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 05:45:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanerz/pseuds/vanerz
Summary: The school year starts and Nosaka turns 14. He faces captaincy about as well as you'd expect a second-year to. Fortunately, Nishikage has his back. A fic x art collaboration with huyandere @ Tumblr!





	shards of light

**Author's Note:**

> I did a [quick collab](http://nosakkayuuma.tumblr.com/post/172654833875/shards-of-light-nosaka-centric-fic-x-art-collab) with Liz aka [ huyandere @ tumblr](http://huyandere.tumblr.com) (who is greaaaaat!!) to celebrate the start of Ares and also (except I was late) Nosaka’s birthday! Enjoy!! Text by me and art by Liz!

Near the end of his first year of high school, just after the winter Inter-High, Nosaka’s captain took him aside during practice and dropped the bombshell.

“You’re to be captain next year, Nosaka,” he said, looking aside as he delivered the news. “I’m to make the announcement at our next practice.”

Captain Shibutani was biting his lip. He had probably been expecting a smooth reign until the next winter, not the cheap couple of months the coach had now relegated him to. Nosaka didn’t ask why his time had been shortened. Outei Tsukinomiya had a tradition of making the playmaker captain, and, well, between him and Shibutani the statistics said it all. The coach had been treating Nosaka noticeably better recently too. The signs had been so obvious that he didn’t feel good saying it out loud.

At the end of their next practice, Captain Shibutani cleared his throat and made the announcement. Everyone turned to Nosaka, and he gave a short speech that he forgot the moment the words left his mouth. All his teammates’ expressions ranged from confusion to scepticism to outright disapproval; all except Nishikage, the newly promoted first-string goalie and a fellow first-year. Nishikage was leaning against the wall, gaze down, arms folded, looking for all the world like he was dreaming about what was for dinner. Except he wasn’t, because in his eyes there was a spark of wild excitement. His head swivelled up and he caught Nosaka’s eye, smile growing wider into a lopsided grin; he maintained eye contact all while moving his head up and down in slow, confident nods.

* * *

Nosaka’s birthday came and went and before he knew it he was fourteen; a full year younger than most soccer team captains were. It was weird that he was hung up on this small detail when his brain had accepted all the surrounding facts months ago, but Nosaka couldn’t control his brain at the best of times. He doubted he would magically gain the ability to now.

This morning had been their first ever practice of the school year, a gruelling 7am start. Nosaka would love to say that it had eased his worries for the future, but if anything, it had just made them worse.

It was the new crop of first-years. They weren’t terrible – on the contrary, they were hardworking, eager, obviously aware of Outei Tsukinomiya’s growing reputation and keen to contribute blood, sweat, and tears to it. They admired him, a second-year who had been able to secure the highest position of leadership a student could attain in the club. Together, they would aim for the top.

At least in theory.

As a playmaker, Nosaka was used to managing his players on the pitch. It was his off-pitch duties as captain he was having trouble with. The first-years were young and naïve, beaming balls of potential just waiting for the right person to draw it out. After today’s Saturday practice, Nosaka wasn’t sure if he was this person.

It was a burden.

He finished changing into his casual clothes and stopped at the sink to freshen up his appearance. Nosaka had deliberately taken his time, and now he was the last one left in the locker room. He looked at himself at the mirror and a boy who didn’t look like a captain at all stared back.

All the first-years had finished practice with such bright smiles. Nosaka wondered if they would smile so brightly six months down the line. He wanted to make soccer fun for his team, but he also knew that the road to becoming good was anything but.

“Nosaka?”

A call from outside got his attention, and Nosaka hurriedly started to smooth down his hair. He was taking quite a while in here. He’d miss the train if he didn’t hurry. Then someone he recognised well appeared in the mirror, behind him.

“Nishikage.” Nosaka turned to face him.

Nishikage Seiya stood in front of him, in his trademark cropped jacket and hoodie combo, and sent him a crooked smile. “What’s up, captain?”

Nosaka relaxed. “Don’t call me that.”

“But that’s who you are,” Nishikage pointed out. “You’re the captain of the Outei Tsukinomiya soccer team, Nosaka Yuuma.” The way he said it made it sound like a matter of course. Nosaka thought back to how he was just nodding during his captaincy speech like it was a foregone conclusion, and couldn’t help but smile.

“So I am,” he replied. “Still can’t believe it. Why’d they ask a second-year…”

“Please. You know you’re the best playmaker Outei Tsukinomiya’s had in years. If I were coach I’d want you leading for two years too.”

“Yeah,” Nosaka said, and it was all he could say. He didn’t want to readily agree and look like an ass, but his brain couldn’t deny the facts.

“Look,” Nishikage said, and his voice was softer now. “I was worried you’d be in here brooding and it seems like I was right to have been. But you’re not alone, remember? The rest of us are here to help. We were chosen. We’ll change soccer.”

“Yeah, I know,” Nosaka replied, his voice softer too. He had tried to muster up the strength, but just wasn’t able to say the words as confidently as Nishikage had. “Just… what if we don’t succeed? What if we fail in the first stage of our plan? And what if we fail and I make everyone hate soccer? Because it won’t be fun.” Nosaka took a deep breath. “There’s morning practice every day and regular practice after school. We’ll push them, hard. There’s no way they’ll have fun if they want to get good enough to change the world.”

“But we need to,” Nishikage said. “For soccer’s sake. We’ve worked so hard to get here. We can’t do anything but keep going.”

He raised his hands, his big, strong, dependable hands Nosaka had seen knock aside and catch soccer balls hundreds of times. They closed around Nosaka’s shoulders like a second skin. Nosaka raised his own hands and looked at them.

“Will I be able to change soccer? With these hands?” he asked, projecting his voice past Nishikage until it echoed around the empty locker room.

Nishikage released his grip and brought one arm around Nosaka’s back.  _Thump, thump, thump_  came the steady beats as Nishikage started to pat his shoulder as reassuringly as he had nodded all those months before.

“Nosaka,” Nishikage said, also loud enough for his words to bounce around the locker room. “We’ll change soccer together.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> Inazuma Eleven Ares premiered today!! Did everyone watch it? It was SOOOOO GOOD I can't wait for Nosaka and his lifeless eyes.  
> Also, [shards of light](https://www.animethemesongs.com/orange/hikari-no-hahen).


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